Our Common Humanity

This morning the nominated Attorney General of the United States talked about the basis for the American justice system. He said that the law is meant to treat all men the same: rich and poor, rural and suburban, the powerful and powerless, Democrat and Republican, and all races and ethnicities. This is a long-held American value, but it is based upon something much deeper. It is based in our common humanity.

An Uncommon Humanity

Every people group has their own understanding of how mankind came to be. A person’s view of origins is directly related to their understanding of all humans.

The Ancients

In the ancient world, each clan or civilization saw themselves as originating from their god or as being special to their god. They thought of themselves as unique and as others as different and inferior. The racism in the ancient world resulted in slavery and conquests of other “inferior” nations.

The Modern

Evolution has given racists the scientific underpinning to support real differences among the various races. It is believed by some that different branches of humanity originated in different places by different proto-humans. The Nazis in Germany exploited these differences. “On July 14th, 1933, the Fuhrer decreed the Hereditary Health Law, a eugenics sterilization statute which was to be the first step in a mass eugenics program that would claim the lives of millions upon millions of people over the next 12 years.”[1] Using the differences in appearance or culture or race as a basis of profound difference is the root of all racism. This has been true in the United States. In early cartoons African Americans were often portrayed as monkeys, or the less evolved, or as a different branch of humanity.

The Biblical View

The Bible presents us with a unique view of the man’s origins. According to the Bible, the original man was created by God’s hands. From this man, God took his side (cut him in half) and used the half to create a woman (from man)—the person who was to make him again one flesh.

From these two came all people. At one point, God chose Noah and his three sons to continue the human line. From these came all the nations (Genesis 10-11). We cannot overestimate the significance of this beginning. All people groups originate from the same source—from people who came from a man and woman formed by the hands of God. The Bible goes beyond this, declaring that God chose Abraham so that through him all the peoples would be blessed.
God made all men and women from one source. This is the basis for all equal justice. It is the reality that removes all racism or racial supremacy.

Biblical Christians are not racists.


[1] Who Should Play God,  by Ted Howard and Jeremy Rifkin, pg. 72

Is Christianity Boring?

Some feel that to give their lives to Christ is to become part of something that is fixed or static--boring. They have images of old cathedrals, dusty hymnals, and stiff believers. They think of those who live their lives by what they cannot do, rather than what they can.

This is a popular misconception. Genuine Christianity is a growth faith. It is like a beautiful mosaic that begins with a pattern then continues the tessellation adding new colors and images. It is like Jazz music that begins with a note pattern and then plays off of it until you have a masterpiece. Only this masterpiece never ends. It is like a single strand of DNA that, through growth, continues the pattern creating a beautiful plant, animal, or human.
This growth model for Christianity is based on several facts:

1. We worship an infinite God who will never be fully comprehended. How can we totally understand God? How does the finite take hold of the infinite? It cannot. There are dimensions and aspects of our God that we will never fully grasp. 

2. The Bible is beyond anyone’s intellectual capacity. Jerome wrote: “The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for a theologians to swim in without ever touching the bottom." We can memorize great sections of Scripture and still have much to learn. We can get degrees and study the Bible every day of our lives, and still have much to learn. The Scriptures elucidate theology, anthropology, social science, psychology, history, archaeology, etc. They provide a full understanding of life. Every Bible scholar I have ever known has shared with excitement the things they are still learning. It never ends. 

3, The practical living out of our faith means encountering new situations and responding to them in faith. It means learning to listen to the Holy Spirit (a life-long quest), applying the Scripture’s teaching, and exercising faith. Through this lifestyle, we grow in wisdom and show more of Christ. 

Some would say that these growth models are not really valid because they take place within a system of thought and practice, a system which has certain uncompromising pillars. We cannot remove the understanding that Jesus is God without leaving Christianity all together. We require certain truths—God’s existence and character, the authority of the Bible, the person and mission of Christ, the presence of the Holy Spirit, etc.—for us to be able to say that we are within true Christianity.

But isn’t this also the case with any other form of thought and practice? Doesn’t each erect its own pillars, its own non-negotiable dictates? Take Jean Paul Sartre, for instance. Whereas his structure of thought, his philosophy, stated that man must never commit to any cause, for to do so is to give up one’s absolute freedom, he himself signed the Algerian Manifesto and later advocated for Communism.[1] This choosing of one system above others (declaring one more moral) showed that he could not live consistently with his own beliefs.

The New Age Movement, something I studied at some length when I was younger, was an attempt at true eclecticism. This movement proclaimed that there were infinite ways to enlightenment (an altered state of consciousness). The point, however, was to become enlightened. Religion, drugs, sensory deprivation, yoga, etc. were all put in place for the purpose of bringing a person to enlightenment (however that was described). But still, simply being able to state the purpose, tells us that there was a structure built around this purpose.

There is no way to live life without a guiding purpose for that life. Even those who say they do not have a belief system are declaring their belief system. Even Atheism and Humanism have manifestos.

Christianity is a belief system with solid truths that are grown into for a lifetime and beyond. It is not restrictive or boring.


[1] How Should We Then Live?, by Francis Schaeffer, pg. 167

I just tested negative for Covid-19 . . . for the fourth time. Every time I feel I am about to do something where I need to ensure I am Covid free, I get a test. The rest of the time, I stay at home, minimize my contacts to immediate family, wear a mask, use hand sanitizer, and spend many hours on Zoom.

Why?

1. I'm not one to tempt God. I have Christian friends who are attending church services indoors without masks. I ran into one yesterday who told me that God would protect her and that she refused to live in fear. I held my tongue. The truth is that, unless God specifically calls you to do something that would kill you or kill others, you shouldn’t. There is no honor in foolishness. Even Jesus avoided direct conflict with the Pharisees and other religious leaders at times. He didn’t do this because he was living in fear. He did it because it was not his time to die. When I was in college there was a girl who never studied for tests, declaring that she was free in Christ and that God would give her what she needed. She failed. When Satan told Jesus to jump off the cliff, he responded that we are not to tempt the Lord our God. I think this is what people are doing who use God for cover while living unsafe with this virus simply because they don’t want to be inconvenienced.                                                                                                                                                              
2. We are called to obey the governing officials. Romans 13:1-2 says, “"Obey the government, for God is the One who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the law of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow." Pretty clear, right? This is the position our pastor has taken. He has taught on it extensively. I think he is correct. I saw this morning that a very prominent pastor in California just died of the virus. Was he not also loved by God? Why wasn't he protected?                                                          
3. We are called to live for others and not for ourselves. My family needs me. My wife needs me. I’m not ready to die of Covid (which is a possibility for someone of my age and health issues). In my retirement, I have devoted myself to working with my grandkids, helping them not lose ground in school through this unusual time. My being with the kids allows my daughter (a teacher) to do her job while her husband (a firefighter) does his. Along with this, God is using me to work with the high schoolers at my church and to mentor a college student who has become a very dear friend. I have also been able to support and help my son and my mom and her husband through some situations. What I am trying to say is that I feel a responsibility to do what I can to stay healthy for the sake of those I am helping and serving. I owe it to them. Also, since people can infect others while being asymptomatic, the loving thing to do is to wear a mask for the sake of others. This seems to me a Christian thing to do.                                                                   

This is a very unusual time in our history. At this point, the virus is winning. It is fueled by those who have believed the misinformation that it is some kind of overblown hoax, or that masks don’t work, or that God will protect them. If we all worked together, being safe, even for a short time, we could stop the virus in its tracks.                                                                                
We have a vaccine coming. Life will become normal again some time in the near future. In the meantime, it is important that we all live life in a way that protects others. We can do this in the name of Christ--Not out of fear, but out of love.

If you are in Christ, you were adopted. It’s the greatest news ever.

I was adopted by David Apodaca, a Latino with an incredible work ethic and brilliant mind. When he adopted me, it changed not only my name, but also the trajectory of my whole life. I understand myself as Mike Apodaca, David’s son.

In the ancient Roman world, there was no upward mobility. You were born into your place in life. All power was held by a very small group of political administrators. So, Christians knew what it was like to have esteem only from your position in a family or a guild. A person might become wealthy through trade or commerce, but they were powerless in the nation. A Roman soldier could take from you whatever he wanted and if you didn’t behave properly, could inflict severe punishment on you. People did not have value because they were people. They were cogs in the state.

In this context, the Christians came and said that God Himself had adopted them into His family, changing their present reality and that of their eternal existence. This actually happened in Rome. The Caesar, Julius, who did not have an heir he considered worthy of the throne, adopted Augustus, making him royalty and setting him up to be the next emperor. In this adoption, all that belonged to Julius Caesar was passed down to his chosen heir. In the same way, Christians, by virtue of their adoption, receive everything that belongs to their Father, God. Just look at what the Scriptures say:

Ephesians 1:11-14 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee4 of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Colossians 1:12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

1 Peter 1:4 and we have a priceless inheritance--an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

Colossians 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may
receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

On top of this, there is an entire theme of inheritance from the Old Testament. Israel received the inheritance of the Promised Land from God (Genesis 15:18-21).

The Christian’s identity is shaped first and foremost by the fact that s/he has been adopted by God as a son/daughter in his own household. By virtue of this, Christians have Jesus as an adopted brother, they have the inheritance of God. Whereas, in our world, inheritances are acquired when one of our ancestors dies, in Christ, we receive the benefits of our inheritance when we die in Him, something pictured in our baptism.

So, Christians, we have an incredibly high position—we are adopted into God’s family. We don’t have to look to our culture, or political party, our race, our economic status, our nationality, our appearance or stature, or anything else originating in this world to give us value. We are God’s kids. So celebrate. Rejoice. Jump up and down. Be thankful. But never,  and I mean never, turn to anything less for your understanding of what your value is.  

Godsend 4 continues the story of Alex McKendrick and his friends as they battle demons and try to prevent the forces of Hell from taking over the world for Satan. In this book, persecution has begun. It is time to take a stand and lead. My Godsend series helps Christians from sixth grade up learn how to walk in their faith and to be God's warriors.

This pandemic has forced churches into a crisis. Some, choosing to obey the laws of the land and to ensure the safety of their members have gone virtual, while others say they are willing to risk infection and possibly death for the sake of furthering the gospel. So some have chosen to defy the government restrictions and are holding in-person services.

While watching this, I have been thinking.

Firstly, God’s kingdom is mighty and stronger than any virus or earthly calamity. We should not make the mistake of believing that the health and well-being of God’s true church rests in any church model that man has devised. God is reaching out with the Gospel. He invites us to share in His mission to save humanity. But it is His and He will see it through. As Jesus said, the gates of Hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:17).

Secondly, I look at this time as one where the church is being sifted. There have been many nominal Christians, people who have considered themselves Christians without really committing their entire lives to Christ who will drop off from the church. John would say they were never really of us (1 John 2:19). The former model of church, the large gathering, often was much like an entertainment, a mostly anonymous affair where some would feel that they had done their Christian duty simply by attending. Jesus gave us the parable of the seeds and the sower. There were those who heard the gospel but the cares of the world choked out their faith. There were also those who were planted in shallow soil that died in the heat of the sun. This is going to happen. We should not be surprised.

My suggestion is that we stop fighting to preserve a structure of the church that is not endemic to the gospel. The organized church—with a main pastor and support staff, in a large building, with extensive programs and with all the infrastructure that entails—was never a part of the early church. The early church was centered in the home, the household (Greek—oikos). In all periods of human history, the home has been the central social unit upon which the rest of the society is built. It was definitely this way in the Roman world the church was born in. Charles M. Lowry writes, “The family understood this way, consisting of blood relatives, clients, and friends, was one of the bastions of Greco-Roman society.”[1]

The early church spread to and through homes. Households (oikos), which were made up of adults, children, and slaves and often multiple families living together, would be brought to Christ and would spread the word to other households.  
There are wonderful benefits from centering the church in homes. Here are some listed by Charles M. Lowry:

1. Every household would know the Bible. They’d be studying it all the time. Each household would rely on the Bible and personal study, rather than a professional pastor.
2. Christianity would become a lifestyle lived out in the home. It would no longer be a Sunday only affair.
3. Families would set aside more time to pray.
4. Children would be trained to love God by their parents and their example. No more reliance upon Sunday School and Youth workers.
5. The church would be far stronger. Christianity would be a relationship with God rather than a religion.
6. The home would create better citizens.
7. The home would be strengthened, focused on God and relying on Him.

I would add to this that churches in homes would be far more reliant on the Holy Spirit. James D. G. Dunn writes of the early church meetings:

It did not meet in consecrated or special premises; its context was the home of one of its members. It did not center round a sacred text or particular ritual acts; its raison d’éntre was the sharing of the shared grace (charis) of God in its particular expressions (charismata). It was not characterized by an established pattern or liturgy nor did it depend on an official leadership to give it direction; rather it was to be expected that the Spirit would exercise sufficient control through the interplay of gifts and ministries ordered by him. Its aim was to bring about the mutual edification of all through a being together and by a doing for one another in word and action as the body of Christ in mutual interdependence on the Spitit.[2]
Finally, one last benefit to making the home the center of the faith is that each family will have far more money to give to the poor and needy (and we surely have more of those just now). We should support those in our households who are out of work, who are unable to pay bills or buy food.

I am not against the organized church. I am for whatever spreads the gospel. I am for whatever God is doing to complete this mission.

All this to say, that God is in charge. He may allow a pandemic. He may allow it to be poorly handled so that traditional institutional churches around the land have to close their doors. Many churches will fail from a lack of offerings. Perhaps this is God’s way to show us that we have built a system that fits us more than one that fits Him. It has always been the temptation of God’s people to create a form of religion that is comfortable rather than rely on God when He is doing something new (remember the golden calf). Perhaps home-centered fellowships will rise. Fathers and mothers will take their rightful position as the spiritual leaders of their own households. Children will be trained in the ways of God by their parents. And all will rely on the Spirit.

I am not afraid for the God’s true church. Nothing can stand against it.


[1] Oikos, pg. 12. See also, chapter 7 in Tom Mercer’s book, Not My—Church and his book, Oikos: Your World, Delivered.

[2] The Responsible Congregation: 1 Corinthians 14:26-40, in The Church Comes Home, by Robert and Julia Banks, pg. 59

How to Stop Abortions

I am against abortion. I believe it is murder. Period.

I was recently told how to vote this November. The assumption being that one political party is better for this issue than the other. I do not see this.

The Republicans had all three branches of government when President Trump took office. Abortions continued at the same rate. They are now trying to stop abortion through appointing conservative judges, but these judges have not stopped abortions.

So what are we to do?

The answer is to stop thinking that we can eliminate abortion through legislation. Legislation is the expression of the values of the public, and, currently, the majority of the public believes that abortion is a right. We are losing the battle of ideas.

Let me state firstly, that, as Christians, our focus is not to be on any particular sin, including abortion. I do not see Jesus or Paul or Peter attacking the sin of the gentiles (they do attack the sin in the church). The focus of Christians should always be to bring people to Christ. In Christ, under the authority of God, the Holy Spirit will guide each individual to righteous thinking and practice. They will leave sin behind.

Now, I am not saying that we do not engage the world on the topic of abortion. I have had intense conversations with people and have given them information that has helped them see and understand that abortion is actually killing children. And others have chosen not to see this, by force of will. One of the things I love about being a Christian is that I do not have to hide from tough issues. The truth is the truth.
Here are some of my arguments:

1. We need to be consistent. If we are not willing to kill children outside the womb, why would we kill the same children inside the womb? One might say that the child in the womb is dependent on the mother for survival and that this is a difference. I have raised children. The baby outside the womb is just as dependent on its mother for survival. The only difference is location. The baby cannot continue to grow inside the mother. He/she would be too big.
2. The child is not the woman’s body. And, if that is the argument for killing it, because it is made up of cells that originate in the mother and father, then, again to be consistent, mothers and fathers should be able to kill their own children at any point. A child is made of the same cells. Of course, this is ludicrous.
3. It is impossible to treat one part of humanity, the unborn, as worthless trash, then to not think of all people, including the mothers, as worthless trash. To devalue the unborn is to devalue us all.
4. The unborn child is as human as anyone else. If not, then what are they? It is not the number of cells that makes us human. If that were the case, then what is the number? Children have less cells than adults. Does that make them less human? Absolutely not. Human is what we are. Once sperm and egg join, there is a human being. It can be nothing else. It never becomes something else. The cell has the program, the DNA, for a human. It is human.
5. Some pro-abortionists show concern for the mother who brings a child to term and then has to give it up. They do not have the same concern for the mother who kills their baby inside their own womb and then has to live with this guilt for the rest of her life. I have had women in counseling who have had to work through their guilt over their abortions. It is a pain one never recovers from. The idea that an abortion has no lasting effects on the mother is a lie.
6. Some argue that those who are against abortion are against freedom of choice. This is a smokescreen of words. No one has the freedom to murder another human being.
7. When talking to a person who is for abortion, we must be very careful. Those who are for abortion use language in a very particular way. They speak of freedom of choice, or of the pregnancy, or of termination of the pregnancy. These are code words that soften the blow of what abortion actually is. Those who support abortion will never use the word ‘baby’ for the child in the womb. They will never say that abortion is killing a baby, although that is exactly what it is.
8. Some believe that abortion is a matter of gender equality. This is ridiculous. Baby girls are aborted the same as baby boys. There is perfect gender equality in abortion.
9. Some will argue that making abortion illegal forces women to shady unsafe alternatives. The same argument could be made for making murdering others legal. After all, since it is now illegal, we are forced to hire hit men to do the job for us. Should it then be legal?
10. Some will bring up the problem of incest and rape. Should these girls be forced to carry a child to term? These are horrific violations that demean women. But, adding to them the horrific prospect of murdering a human being is not the solution. These girls need counseling and love. It is much better for them to turn their tragedy into triumph by bringing the baby to term.
11. Finally, I feel that abortion is an intensely selfish act. It is a mother putting her own lifestyle above the life of their child. Most abortions are done by young women who want to have sex but do not want to raise a child. I am far more impressed with the majority of mothers who make sacrifices for their children. We had a teacher in our district who had cancer. She refused treatment and died to save the life of her unborn child who was born healthy.

Again, let me make something clear. I do not hunt down people who believe in abortion and hit them with my arguments. I will always engage people in thoughtful loving conversation when the topic comes up, but I do not steer conversations to this or anything else I consider sin.

My focus is the focus of Jesus. I am trying to proclaim the good news—that God has sent His own Son, to show us how humanity was meant to live and to give His life as a payment for all our sins. It is our faith in Him and our identification with His sacrifice that allows us to participate in His death and resurrection, dying to our old selves and being made new in Christ. It is in this new life that our perspective is changed. It is In Christ that we repent of all our sin, where we are given the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to live for Him and to progressively grow to in His image.

​Christians need to stop being amazed that non-Christians act like non-Christians. We need to always have thoughtful truthful answers for what we think (1 Peter 3:15), but it is the new creation that will change the world, not new legislation.

Will There Be a Rapture?

​
                My first question to you is, why do you want one? If it’s to escape suffering, then you haven’t understood the gospel. The good news is that we get to share in Christ’s sufferings—not run away from them.

Consider these Scriptures:


​
1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

1 Peter 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
 
     There are many other Scriptures, but you get the point. Nowhere in the New Testament are we told that God will rescue us out of suffering for our faith. So my question to those who hope in a rapture, why are you holding that hope? Is it that you wish to avoid any suffering for Christ? If so, you are out of step with the Scriptures and the experience of the church in this world. Think of it, approximately 13,000.000 Christians were killed for their faith in the first two centuries of the church.[1] Christians continue to be persecuted every day in various parts of the globe.

     Now, I have heard people use the verse, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath,” (1 Thessalonians 5:9) to explain the need for a rapture. What these people fail to do is read the rest of the verse: “But to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” You see, Paul is not talking about suffering for the faith. He is talking about suffering for our sins before God. The glorious truth is that God saved us from His wrath. He did not save us from suffering on His behalf.

     One of the reasons I don't believe in the rapture is because it goes against all the Scriptures I read in the New Testament about suffering for the gospel—and there are a lot of them. In fact, it is a theme of the New Testament and a normal part of being in Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it very well, “Just as Christ is Christ only in virtue of His suffering and rejection, so the disciple is a disciple only in so far as he shares his Lord’s suffering and rejection, and crucifixion.”[2]

     Now, lest I leave you without hope, I firmly believe that God will make us adequate to any persecution we suffer, if we will walk in Him. Edith Schaeffer wrote, “I believe that the sufficiency of the grace of God on the basis of the blood of Christ, shed to give victory in the battle against Satan, has been and is being and will be proven to be not just academically ’sufficient’. This grace will have been, in instance after instance, historically proven to have been sufficient indeed in every conceivable kind of affliction and suffering, in every kind of trouble and persecution.”[3]

     So, I would say that my main reason for not believing in the rapture is that it seems to want to say that Christians will be saved from the suffering of the Tribulation. There is no evidence of this in the Book of Revelation itself. In fact, my opinion is that the Book of Revelation was given by Christ to show the church that, although suffering will get intense and many will die for their faith (as they have in every age), he who endures to the end will be saved. I look at it as a survival manual for those in the faith. And the great message of the book? Jesus will win and establish His kingdom forever in the end. As Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18).

     Let us all continue to strive to gain the mind of Christ and to walk in Him no matter what.
 


[1] The Dangers of a Shallow Faith, by A. W. Tozer, pg. 86. See also, Early Christian Fathers, by Cyril C. Richardson, pg. 64, 75

[2] The Cost of Discipleship, pg. 96

[3] Affliction, by Edith Schaeffer, pg. 81,

                “So, what do you do with Jesus?” I asked my friend.
                Jesus. The stumbling block. The one who messes up everyone’s preconceived notion of what is true and real. The supreme apple-cart tipper. The thorn in every philosopher’s side.
                Josh McDowell, in his book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, once explained that there are only three things you can do with Jesus. You can call him a liar who deceived his followers. You can call him a lunatic who not only deceived his followers, but also himself. Or you can call him Lord, as he claimed for himself to be the One sent by the Father to redeem all mankind and to start a new form of human race, one filled with His Spirit and who would walk in the pattern of life in His Kingdom (as He did) with Him as Lord.
                  Lately, I‘ve noticed a fourth option—just ignore him.
                This seems to be the position taken by most people I see. The crash of media images, the daily bombardment of information via social media and the 24-hour news cycle, has made us numb to anything that happened in history—even the Son of God entering it. We live in the perpetual present.
                And yet, Jesus coming to earth is a historical event like no other, because he is like no other. We dare not group Jesus with any military leader, philosopher, or the head of any religion. None of these ever said they were the incarnation of God—and proved it. None of them fulfilled a two-thousand-year-old tradition of prophecy where over three hundred prophetic utterances declared details of his life including where he would be born and how he would die. None of them healed the sick (including the blind and those with incurable leprosy) and raised the dead in front of thousands of witnesses.
                Along with Jesus’ claim to have been the Messiah, he also explained that with his death and resurrection (again, something that cannot be explained away), he was creating a new way of being. Paul calls it a new creation. He says that those who enter into this new humanity, who identify with Jesus death and resurrection, dying to themselves and being raised into new life with him, will be made new and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This will give them the power to live a new life.
                The Apostles did this. Each one of them was transformed from the cowering sniveling deniers at the time of Jesus’ death to the bold empowered witnesses who stood up to power after his resurrection and ascension into heaven and outpouring of the Spirit. From that time to this, men and women have put their faith and trust in Jesus, and his death and resurrection to forgive their sins and transform them into a new humanity, one which will be fully revealed at the end of the age.
                No, none of the other philosophers or religious leaders have ever said that they were able to do this. Here, Jesus is completely unique.
                There was a time when all of history revolved around this Jesus—the man who lived and was raised and still lived as Lord. In fact, in the 500s men changed the very division of history to coincide with his birth. It can be easily said that no person in human history has had such a profound effect on Western civilization than Jesus.
                Western? What about Eastern? What about the influence of Buddha? Yes, Siddhartha Gautama had a tremendous influence upon the thinking and practice in India, China, and the rest of the East. But, he declared that he had discovered a way to enlightenment, not that he was the way, as Jesus did. One could follow the teachings of the Buddha quite separate from his person—Buddhism without Buddha. But you cannot, in the same way, separate Christianity from Jesus. He is the center. He is the savior and the Lord.
                So, a word to those who have chosen to ignore Jesus. Wake up out of your media fast-paced life induced stupor. Put down the video game controller. Stop for a moment (maybe many moments) and consider seriously the person of Jesus. Read the gospels in the New Testament (or listen to them on your smartphone) and ask yourself, who was this guy?
                If you come to the honest decision that he was a liar or a lunatic, then you’re done with him—maybe. The teaching of the New Testament, if it is right, says that all of us will be judged by our answer to the question of what we thought about Jesus and how we reacted to his command for us to follow Him. It will probably not go well for those who have to say to him, “I thought you were lying.”
                One last thing. It may be that the majority now a days chooses to ignore Jesus for the very reason that to take him seriously would put them in a terrible position. To take Jesus seriously is to take responsibility. It is to admit that he said he was Lord. Well, now what? There are only a two possibilities. One can tell Jesus, “I don’t care. You may in fact be the Lord of all life, but so what? This is my life and I’m going to live it any way I please. If I go to Hell afterwards (something I really don’t believe), then so be it. At least I will be able to say that I was free to do what I wanted.”
                The second alternative is to agree that Jesus is Lord and to find your life by losing it, by giving it to Him. In Christ, you will find a new freedom, one not based on selfishness, but one based on doing things according to the plan of the One who created and designed all things. You will find a new relationship to God and a new identity and a new meaning to all reality. On top of this, those in Christ do have a hope of living eternally with God as His sons and daughters. Not a bad gig at all.
                So the question stands—What will you do with Jesus?